Earth and the Sun
How much larger is the Sun’s diameter compared to Earth’s?
100 times larger.
What is revolution?
The movement of one object around another.
What is rotation?
Spinning motion of an object.
What happens to sunlight on a tilted surface?
Light spreads out more.
What causes the seasons to change?
Earth's tilt and revolution.
Process that powers the Sun by combining atoms
What is Nuclear fusion?
What is an orbit?
The path a revolving object follows.
What is Earth's axis?
Imaginary line around which an object spins.
Why do areas near the poles get less energy from the Sun?
They are tilted away from the Sun.
When Earth's axis is most toward or away from the Sun.
What is a solstice?
Types of energy from the Sun that reaches Earth
What thermal energy and light?
Length of time it takes Earth to complete a revolution around the Sun.
What is one year?
The length of time it takes Earth to rotate once on its axis.
What is one day?
How does Earth's tilt affect the amount of sunlight different areas receive?
Surface tilt spreads sunlight.
What we call the first day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere.
What is the June solstice?
Motion of Earth caused by the Sun’s gravity.
What is Earth's revolution?
Force that keeps Earth revolving around the Sun
What is Gravity?
The direction the Earth rotates when viewed from above the North Pole.
What is counterclockwise or West to East?
What causes differences in temperatures across the Earth?
The tilt and the curve of Earth’s surface.
When neither end of the Earth's axis is tilted toward or away from the sun.
What is an equinox?
Two factors that affect the gravitational force between objects.
What are Mass and Distance?
How do mass and distance affect gravitational pull?
Greater mass and closer distance mean stronger gravity.
Why does the Sun appear to rise in the east?
Due to the Earth's rotation
Why is the equator generally warmer than the poles?
Sunlight is more direct at the equator.
Why does the Sun’s path in the sky change throughout the year?
Earth's tilt causes a higher Sun path in June and a lower one in December.